Imagine if you woke up one day, walked into the kitchen, and your parents informed you that you needed to pack up your things because you’re moving to Canada. Obviously, this would be a difficult transition for any high school student, but it could also be an exciting adventure! A handful of students at Northland have experienced a change in setting, however, they all handle it gracefully and fit right in with the student body. One student in particular, Luisa Garcia, has excelled at Northland after only being here for a little under a year. Luisa’s move from Mexico to Houston is inspiring, especially because she actively competes on a successful local swim team.

Luisa has been swimming since the age of 11, and she has accomplished a lot since then! In fact, she competed in the Mexico National Championship just a year after beginning. However, there are plenty of differences between the swimming scene here versus in Mexico. Luisa explains that “that USA Swimming and NCAA [do] a really good job on promoting the sport to young athletes,” which may be why “swimmers are much more faster here than in Mexico.” The competition here is heightened, but that hasn’t stopped Luisa from pursuing a collegiate swimming career. University of Mary (DII), Hiram University (DIII), and Quincy University (II) are just a few of the colleges that Luisa is focusing on. The heavy focus on swimming has eaten up most of her schedule, which is why she doesn’t think she’ll be able to participate in any other Northland sports (but if she could, it would be Cross Country)!

Aside from all the swimming, Luisa notes that “cultural shock [has] been the hardest part for [her],” as well as “being away from [her] parents.” Luisa currently lives with family members here in Houston, while her parents still reside in Mexico (which seems unimaginably hard)! Northland is fortunate to have a large number of international students on campus; each with a unique personality and background.